Rift-machine.



No. 684,764. Patented Oct. [5, I90l. A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.) (N 0 II o d e l.)

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 684,764. Patented Oct. l5, [90L A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

@Mm'wagm.

ms Norms PUERS 50.. PHDTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, u c.

No. 684,764. Patented Oct. l5, l90l. A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

No. 684,764. Patented Oct. I5, I90l.

A. CUNNINGHAM.

RIFT MACHINE (Applicatioh filed Jan. 30, 1897.)

5 Shaets$heef 4.

(No Model.)

NH rt v. moraumm WASHXNGTON. a, q.

A. CUNNINGHAM.

Patented Oct. l5, I901.

RIFT MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

UNrTnn STATES l aTnnT Crater...

ALBERT CUNNINGHAM, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE FILER ANDSTOWELL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF IVISCONSIN.

RIFTHVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 684,764, dated October1 5, 1901.

Application filed January 30, 1897. Serial No. 621,352. No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT CUNNINGHAM, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented cert-ain new and usefulImprovements in Rift- Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to that class of machines designed to split orresaw lumber wilh as little waste as possible into the desired widthsand com prising two sets of saws mounted on. parallel arbors, so thattheir kerfs will meet approximately midway in the cuts. Its main objectsare to facilitate the adjustment of the arbors, so that the saw-kerfswill meet as the saws are reduced in diameter by filing and the meetinglines of the kerfs will be about midway in lumber of differentthicknesses, thus distributing the work about equally between the upperand lower saws, to prevent the escape of the cooling-water supplied tothe saws through the arbors between the spacing-collars when some of thesaws are removed and the collars are brought together face to face, andgenerally to improve the construction and operation of machines of thisclass. i

The invention consists in certain novel features in the construction andarrangement of component parts of the machine, as hereinafterparticularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts inthe several figores.

Figure l is a side elevation of a rift-machine embodying myimprovements.Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical longitudinal sections on the lines 2 2 and 33, respectively, of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on thelineet 4., Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, a horizontal crosssection on the line 55, Fig. 3.

The main frame of the machine consists of two side pieces or sections AAand one or more intermediate sections A, rigidly connected bycross-pieces A as shown in Figs. 2 and at, or in any other suitablemanner. One at least of the side sections A is formed with an opening athrough it of sufficient size to permit of the removal of the saws fromthe arbors without displacing the arbors. All of the frame-sections maybe formed with such openings and are so shown in the drawings, althoughthis is not absolutely necessary, openings of sufficient size to permitof the necessary adjustments of the saw-arbors being sufficient, ex cepton one side of the machine. As the supporting and adjusting connectionsof both saw-arbors are substantially alike I will describe themspecifically in connection with one arbor only.

13 B are bridge'trees formed or provided with boxes I) b for thesaw-arbor and pivotally connected at one end to the frame-sections A Aon one side of the openings a therein by a tie-rod C, which is threadedand provided with a hand clamping-nut c at the end adjacent to theopening a. next to the saws. At the opposite end this tie rod may beprovided with a head, collar, or nut.

D D are tubular spacing-pieces placed on the tie-rod C between the partswhich it connects, so as to hold them firmly in their proper relationsto each other when they are forced together by the tie-rod and itsclamping-nut. The two outer bridge-trees are attached to the outer facesof the side frame-sections A. At or near the ends of the bridge-treesopposite the tie-rod C they are formed with longitudinal orhorizontally-disposed slots 1) I) and are adjustably connected with saidframesections by a tie-rod C, passing through said slots andvertically-disposed openings at in the frame-sections. This tie-rod is,like the other, threaded and provided with a hand-nut c and is alsofurnished with tubular spacingpieces D D.

E E are vertically-disposed adj llSlJllJg-SCIGWS having bearin gs in theseveral frame-sections and extending lengthwise through the slots 0!. a.therein. They are provided between their bearings with nuts F F, whichare formed on one side with transverse holes or sleeves f f, throughwhich the tie-rod C passes.

The screws E E are provided atone end ICC) with bevel-gears e e, whichmesh with similar gears g g on a transverse shaft G, supported insuitable bearings provided therefor in the frame of the machine parallelwith the saw-arbors and tie-rods. This shaft G is squared at one end toreceive a crank or wrench for turning it. The bevel-gears connectingsaidshaft with the adjusting-screws are preferably inclosed in housings,as shown.

The tubular spacing-pieces D, which are mounted onthevertically-adjustable tie-rod C, are held from turning thereon when theyare released by slackening the nut on the tierod by means of bolts d d,tapped in end flanges of said spacing-pieces and engaged at their tipswith recesses in the adjacent nuts F F, as shown in Fig. 5.

H H designate the sa'w-arbors, which are supported parallel with eachother by the bearings b b in the bridge-trees B B, one above the other.One of the saw-arbors is placed a little to one side of a vertical planepassing through the axis of the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, sothat the opposing saw-kerfs will meet without bringing the saws closeenough together to conflict with each other. Each arbor is provided witha pulley I, which is connected by a belt in any suitable manner with adriving-pulley. These pulleys are located between one of the sideframe-sections A and the intermediate section A, and between the otherside section and the intermediate section the arbors are each providedwith a number of saws J J, which are properly spaced by interposedcollars j and secured together upon the arbor between collars j and 7'by rodsj passing through them and the several collars parallel with thearbor. ends of the rodsj the outer collarj and the several saws andspacing-collars may be removed from the arbor and rearranged thereon inany desired number, order, or position, according to the widths it isdesired to cut or the dimensions and character of the lumber to beoperated upon. It is sometimes desirable to arrange the saws on eacharbor in two or more groups, with wider spaces between the groups, or inspacing the saws to employ two or more of the spacing-collarsj together.For the purpose of removing, rearranging, and replacing the saws, asabove explained, the bridge-tree B, spanning the opening a next to theouter saw, is removed by unscrewing the hand-nuts o c on the tie-rods OC, the saw-arbor being held in place when said bridge-tree is removed byits hearings in the other two bridge-trees.

It is customary in this class of machines to supply water through the.saw-arbors to the faces of the saws through grooves or passages formedin the collars which separate the saws. This method is foundobjectionablewhen some of the saws are removed and two or more collarsare brought together, because the water is discharged between adjoiningcollars, where it is not needed, and is thrown by the rapid Byunscrewing the nuts on the outer l rotation of the arbor over themachine and work, thus causing great annoyance, as Well as injury. Toavoid this objection, I construct and arrange the water-supply passagesas hereinafter described. Each arbor is formed through one end with anaxial passage h, which communicates, through a crosspassage, withlongitudinal grooves h h in that portion of the arbor which issurrounded by the saws and spacing-collars. The several saws are formedin their faces with radial groovesj, which extend from the center to apoint which is outside of the spacing-collars or are of sufficientlength to cross the faced portions of said collars. The severalspacing-collarsj, as well as the sides of the collarsj and j next to thesaws, are accurately faced, so that they will fit closely to theadjoining faces of the saws or when brought together will produce tightjoints through which water will not escape. A water-supply connection ismade with the passage h in each arbor through a stuffing-box h as shownin Fig. 5. By this construction and arrangement of the spacing-collarsand the grooves in the faces of the saws water will be delivered fromthe saw-arbor only between the saws and adjacent collars, where it isrequired, whatever the arrangement and spac ing of the saws may be.

The machine is provided in the usual way at each end with a table K,which may be conveniently and is usually constructed of framed timbers.Upon it are mounted at suitable intervals transverse lumber supportingand guiding rollers 7t; and laterally-adjustable longitudinal guides70'. The lumber is placed upon the rollers of one of these tables andsupported and guided in the proper position with reference to the sawsby the rollers Zr 70' and is deposited after it leaves the saws upon therollers of the other table, by which it is supported in the properposition until it clears the saws.

L L are feedrollers of the usual or any suitable construction, arrangedin pairs before and behind the saws, with their upper faces atapproximately the same level as the tops of the rollers 70 7c.

-M M are roller-driving shafts extending transversely through themachine and each supported by suitable hearings in the frame midwaybetween and parallel with the feedrollers. They are each provided at oneend with a gear m, which meshes on opposite sides with similar gears Hon the roller-shafts, as shown in Fig. 5. At the opposite ends theshafts M are provided with pulleys m, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, whichare connected by a belt, as shown in Fig. 1. One of the shafts M isprovided with a gear m which meshes with a similar gear n on a shortshaft N, parallel with said shaft N and provided with a bevel-gear n.

O is a shaft supported in suitable bearings at or near the front end ofthe main frame below the table K and parallel with the shafts M.

It is movable endwise in its bearings by means of a lever P, extendingunderneath table K, to the front end of said table, within reach of theoperator. It is provided with a widefaced pulley 0, which is driven by abelt from any convenient source of power, and with a pair of paperfriction-wheels 0'0, as shown in Fig. 5.

Q is a shaft provided at its upper end with a bevel'pinion q, meshingwith the bevel-gear n, and at its lower end with face frictionwheel g,which is yieldingly held in engagement with the periphery of one of thefriction-wheels 0' by a spring g as shown in Fig. 3. The friction-wheelq is cut away or recessed at the center, so as to clear the periphery ofeither of the friction-wheels 0 when it is brought into a positionopposite, as shown in Fig. 3. By shifting the shaft 0 either of thefriction-wheels 0 may be brought opposite the recess in the center ofthe frictionwheel q, while the other is moved in engagement with theworking face of said friction- Wheel and set at any point from thecenter, according to the speed at which it is desired to turn thefeed-rollers L. Thus by means of the driving connections above describedthe feed-rollers may be turned in either direction at any desired rateof speed.

R R are presser-rollers supported above and parallel with thefeed-rollers L in vertically-swinging frames r in the usual way. Theyserve to hold the lumber down in engagement with the feed-rollers.

In Fig. 1 a piece of lumber is shown on the front table in position tobe fed to the saws, and in Fig. 2 the position of a piece of lumberpassing between the saws is indicated by dotted lines, and in Fig. 3 itis shown in a similar position by full lines.

My improved machine is adjusted and operates as follows: The saws Jhaving been arranged on the arbors H opposite each other, ashereinbefore explained, and the gage 7t" adjusted on the feed-table, thesaw-arbors are adjusted by applying a crank to the squared ends of theshafts G and turning them so as to raise or lower either arbor, asrequired, to carry the saws thereon into position. to out about half-waythrough the thick ness of the lumber, the saws being set so that theirkerfs will meet or pass slightly by each other, as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2. The stuff is then placed upon the rollersk 7c of thefeeding-table K against the longitudinal guide or gage 7t" and advancedunderneath the first set of presser-rollers R. The first pair offeeding-rollers L now engaging therewith move it forward between thesaws, by which it is cut into the desired widths in the usual way.During the operation of the saws they are kept cool by water supplied totheir faces through the passages h in their arbors and the grooves intheir faces. The feed is adjusted according to the thickness and natureof the lumber by shifting the friction-drivers 0, as hereinbeforeexplained.

In case it is necessary to run a piece of lumber back before the sawshave finished a cut the friction-drivers 0 are shifted by means of thelever P, so that the driver which acted upon the friction-wheel q tofeed the stud forward will be brought opposite the recess in saidfriction-wheel and the other driver will be brought into engagementwithits face on the opposite side of its center.

To adjust either saw-arbor, the nuts 0 on the tie-rods O O areslaclzened, so as to loosen the bridge-trees supporting it, and afterthe adjustment is made said nuts are tightened, so as to firmly clampthe bridgetrees in place.

Although I prefer to employ the tie-rods C and spacing-pieces D forpivoting the bridgetrees to the frame and holding them securely in placeat one end, they may be dispensed with and the bridge-trees pivoted tothe framesections in line with each other by individnal pivot pins orbolts or otherwise.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact detailsof construction shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described, asthey may be modified in various ways within the spirit and intendedscope of my invention.

1. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame havingopenings in the sides through which the saw-'arbors extend, the openingon one side of the machine being of sufficient size to permit theremoval of the saws therethrough, of vertically-adjustable bridge-treesextending across said openings and connected at their ends with saidframe, two horizontal saw-arbors supported parallel with each other byhearings in said bridgetrees, one obliquely above the other, sawsmounted upon each arbor in the same'planes with opposing saws on theother arbor so that their kerfs will meet, and means for adjusting saidbridge-trees whereby either saw-arbor may be raised or loweredindependently of the other, substantially as described.

2. In a rift-machine the combination witha suitable frame havingopenings in the sides through which the saw -arbors extend, the openingon one side of the machine being of sufficient size to permit theremoval of the saws therethrough, of horizontally-disposed bridge-trees,extending across said openings and pivotally connected at one end withsaid frame, vertically-disposed adjusting-screws journaled in saidframe, nuts pivotally connected with the other ends of said bridge-treesand engaged by said screws, two horizontal sawarbors supported parallelwith each other, one obliquely above the other, by bearin gs in saidbridge-trees, and saws mounted upon. 7

each arbor in the same planes with opposing saws on the other arbor sothat their kerfs will meet, substantially as described.

3. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, ofbridge-trees pivotally connected therewith, a saw-arbor having bearingsin said bridge-trees, means of turning said bridge-trees on theirpivots, and thus raising or lowering the arbor supported by them, atie-rod passing through the frame and bridge-trees, one or morespacing-pieces interposed between the parts through which the tie-rodpasses, and a nut threaded on one end of said rod for clamping theconnected parts together and immovably holding said bridge-trees inplace when adjusted, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, ofbridge-trees pivotally connected therewith at or near one end and havinghorizontally-disposed slots at or near the other, vertically disposedadjusting screws having bearings in the frame and provided with nuts,and a pivot-rod passing through the slots in said bridge-trees andtransverse holes in said nuts, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, ofbridge-trees provided with arbor-bearings, pivoted on one side of saidbearings to said frame and provided on the other side thereof withs1ots,ad j llSilllllg-SCIQWS having bearings in the frame and providedwith nuts, a tie-rod passing through said slots and nuts, one or moredistance-pieces interposed between parts connected by said rod, and aclamping-nut on one end of said rod, substantially as and'for thepurposes set forth.

6. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame having anopening through one side somewhat larger than the saws, of adjustablebridge-trees provided with bearings for a saw-arbor, one of saidbridge-trees spanning said opening, tie-rods passing transverselythroughthe frame and several bridgetrees on opposite sides of thearbor-bearings and provided with nuts for binding the connected partstogether, and a saw-arbor supported in said bearings, substantially asand for the. purposes set forth.

'7. In a rift-machine the combination with a suitable frame, ofbridge-trees provided with arbor-bearings, tie-rods passing transverselythrough the sides of the frame and the bridgetrees on opposite sides ofthe arbor-bearings and provided with nuts for binding the connectedparts together, one of said tie-rods being adjustable vertically, whilethe other serves to pivotally connect the bridge-trees with the frame,and a saw-arbor supported by the bearings in the bridge-trees,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a rift-machine the combination of a frame comprising two sidepieces or sections and an intermediate section, one of the side sectionshaving an opening through it somewhat larger than the saws, bridge-treesprovided with arbor bearings pivoted to the frame-sections on one sideand adjustably connected therewith on the other side of said bearings,one of said bridge-trees spanning the saw-opening in the frame and beingremovable, and a saw-arbor supported in said bearings and provided withsaws which can be removed therefrom and placed thereon, through saidopening when the bridge-tree is removed therefrom, said arbor being heldin place byits remaining bearings, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

9. In arift-machine the combination of a frame comprising two sidesections and an intermediate section, one of the side sections having anopening through it of sufficient size to permit the removal of the sawsfrom their arbor, bridge-trees provided with arborbearings, and tie-rodspassing through said frame-sections and bridge-trees and provided at oneend next to the bridge-tree spanning the saw-opening in the frame withclampingnuts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. The combination with the frame provided with arbor-bearings, of anarbor supported in said bearings and formed with a longitudinalwater-passage which communicates with a groove in that part of itssurface upon which the saws are mounted, saws having radial grooves intheir faces, and spacingcollars faced to form tight joints when broughttogether, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

11. The combination with aframe provided with arbor-bearings, of anarbor supported in said bearings and formed with a water-pas sage whichcommunicates with that part of its surface upon which the saws aremounted, spacing-collars faced to form tight joints when broughttogether end to end, saws having radial grooves in their faces andclampingcollars and tie-rods for binding the saws and spacing-collarstogether upon said arbor, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

12. The combination with'a saw-arbor having a water-supply passage ofcollars having faced ends which produce tight joints when broughttogether, and a saw having a groove in its face extending outside of thefaced end portions of said collars, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, FRANK A. KREHLA.

ICO

